


Escaping Classification

by BelladonnaVeilsin



Category: Amusingly OOC Gwen, College AU - Fandom, Dubcon sorta but not really, Merthur - Fandom, Modern Magic - Fandom, References used as code, References used for amusement
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-24 07:35:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6146287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelladonnaVeilsin/pseuds/BelladonnaVeilsin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Merlin's new roommate, Arthur, is hard to label. He's built like someone who works out, has some rude tendencies, but is managing to escape both the categories of 'Jock' and 'Prat'. Add in his silence about his family, and he's a verifiable mystery.</p>
<p>When Merlin's magic starts getting ideas all on its own, things become even more interesting and confusing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Living in the Dragon's Den

**Author's Note:**

> My grasp of British slang is slightly better than tenuous, at best.

“Blimey, you're a skinny little git, aren't you?”

Merlin looked up from unpacking his clothes to see a blond (whose body had obviously been crafted by angels) standing in the doorway of Merlin's bedroom in the small apartment he had been assigned to at Camelot U, holding his own box. 'Well, this roommate is _entirely_ too pleasant for the eyes, and entirely too unpleasant for my disposition,' Merlin thought.

“And you certainly have a singular way of introducing yourself, don't you?” Merlin replied casually. He went back to his clothes, ignoring the blond. He could tell this semester wouldn't be easy. Maybe he could find someone to trade rooms with.

“What's that supposed to mean?” the blond demanded, frowning.

“It means that saying your manners are lacking would qualify me for some understatement award.”

The blond hummed thoughtfully. “I'm Arthur.”

Merlin felt a chagrined smile cross his face before he got up and went to shake Arthur's hand. Arthur had to shift his box to one hand as Merlin said, “I'm Merlin.”

Arthur's eyes lingered on Merlin's rubber bracelets, one rainbow, and the other a purple “It Gets Better” bracelet for gay suicide prevention. “Are you gay, Merlin?”

Merlin's eyes narrowed, and he cautiously took his hand from Arthur's grip. “Yes. If _you_ have a problem with _that_ , you'll want to get reassigned, pronto.”

To Merlin's great surprise, Arthur smiled. “Nah. That's your business. Unless you try to make it mine, in which case _we_ will have a problem.”

Merlin grinned. “Fair enough. You're not my type anyway.”

“Ow. Man or not, that's insulting to my ego.”

“Well, you aren't,” Merlin said with a shrug. He returned to his box of clothes, then considered that maybe Arthur wouldn't be a repellent prat after all. “Do you want any help getting your things up here?”

“Your twig body would probably snap under the strain,” Arthur said with a grin. “Thanks, Merlin, I'll be fine.”

As Arthur moved away to do his own unpacking, Merlin mentally chastised himself. It wasn't necessarily that Arthur wasn't his type. Arthur was the type that he lusted after but could never have. Scratch that, Arthur was _better_ than the blokes he had lusted after in the past. But it was a good way to reassure his straight roommate that his ass was safe. Merlin read somewhere that straight guys needed that security. 'Or at least the illusion of it,' Merlin thought.

(-)

Around lunchtime of that first day, Gwen came to see how Merlin was settling in. Gwen and Merlin had been friends since childhood, when Gwen would defend Merlin from bullies. When Arthur answered her knock on their apartment door, he took her in with pleased interest.

“Is Merlin here?” Gwen asked, smiling a little at his look.

Arthur blinked, then turned to call over his shoulder, “I thought you said you were gay!”

Merlin appeared from the door to his bedroom and rolled his eyes. When Arthur turned back to Gwen, she did not look amused. At her stony yet still hostile stare, Arthur held up a placating hand and said, “I was joking. I have no problems with Merlin.”

“Then I shouldn't have too many problems with you,” Gwen said, and she gently pushed past Arthur, dismissing him.

“Hey, Gwen. Are you all unpacked?” Merlin asked, stifling a smile at Arthur's petulant pout.

“Not entirely. But I wanted to make sure you were doing okay,” Gwen said, raising her eyebrows and indicating Arthur with a flick of her eyes towards him.

Sighing, Merlin said, “I can stand up for myself, Gwen. I'm not 7 years old anymore.”

“Still just as cute though,” Gwen replied. “And predators go after cute, vulnerable men.”

Merlin quirked an eyebrow. “Go after them in what way?”

“Rape, bullying, who cares?” Gwen shrugged in indifference. “If they hurt you, I'll have to get out my Castration Knife to defend you with _extreme_ prejudice.”

Merlin grinned as Arthur's eyebrows raised. “You're scaring my roommate.”

“Good. He should be scared, or at the very least, wary,” Gwen said, looking over her shoulder at Arthur.

“We've settled it, Gwen. We're good,” Merlin assured her.

“Merlin, you are hopeless,” Gwen stated with a sigh.

Blinking, Merlin asked, “Yes, in many ways, but which one brought on this comment?”

“It's not settled,” Gwen told him. “Call it Woman's Intuition.”

And with that cryptic statement she waved and left. “That bird is crazy,” Arthur said as he closed the door behind her. “I like her.”

“You _like_ her? _After_ she indirectly threatens to castrate you?”

“Well, yeah.” Arthur shrugged.

“And you say _she's_ crazy,” Merlin mumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Well, _yeah_ ,” Arthur said, with more emphasis. “Is she the only person you know on campus?”

Merlin felt embarrassed for some reason. “Yeah. Gwen and I both did two years at a community college. So I'm technically a junior, but I'm new to campus.”

“Want to come have lunch with some of my mates? Then you'll know some faces, at least.”

Merlin felt nervous. “I get the feeling I wouldn't fit in with your friends.”

“Well, no, obviously not. But that doesn't mean you can't hang out with us,” Arthur said. He seemed perfectly at ease with the notion of bringing a skinny gawky gay guy to hang out with his friends, who were probably jock/fraternity types.

“I won't hide that I'm gay, but I try not to go into situations where I'll be targeted because of it,” Merlin said.

“Naturally not,” Arthur agreed, nodding. Merlin was feeling more and more at odds with Arthur's good-natured-ness about this.

“Arthur, you don't seem to understand that I'm not comfortable with this notion.”

“I do,” Arthur contradicted. “But I don't think it's called for. One of our friends admitted he was bi, a while back. Our group thinned then, losing anyone who wasn't okay with that.”

Merlin blinked, surprise evident on his face. It made Arthur grin. “Ha! I could see you labeling me 'Barely Non-hostile Jock-Type' when I asked if you were gay. Fitting me into a category and filing me away. Well, _Mer_ lin, I won't fit into your box so easily.”

The accuracy of Arthur's assumptions and his gloating over disproving Merlin's assumptions was astonishing. Merlin wasn't certain what he should say. “Do you want to come to lunch?” Arthur asked with a chuckle, still grinning.

A small smile lit up Merlin's face before he said, “Sure, that sounds like fun.”

(-)

As Arthur and Merlin approached the table at the diner where Arthur's friends were waiting, Merlin couldn't help but try to pick out the bi guy. It was pretty damn hard. They were all muscular, like Arthur, and they all dressed in the “normal” guys clothes. But Merlin was thinking it was the handsome latino whose hair was longer and cut in an almost girlish style.

“Sorry we're late, guys, but I had to disarm my roommate,” Arthur said. Merlin felt himself flush. Was he going to tell them about that?

He could see them appraising him. Then, a dark haired man with a long oval-shaped face, asked, “Was it melee or ranged?”

“Did he ambush you when you brought in your stuff?” the square-jawed man sitting across from the latino asked.

“I'd recommend a spear for killing Arthur,” the latino said, this comment directed at Merlin.

Merlin smiled despite himself and nodded. “I'll keep that in mind.”

“Hey, I think I'd do fine against a spear,” Arthur protested. After a moment's thought, he added, “Since I'm so skilled, I think you'd have to rig a trap.”

His friends groaned and the blocky man said, “You're insufferably arrogant.”

Arthur just rolled his eyes and took one of the two unoccupied chairs. This meant Merlin had to sit in between Arthur and the latino. “Merlin, that's Lancelot next to you. Percival is across from him, and then that's Gwaine next to him,” Arthur said, pointing at each of his friends in turn.

“Why do you introduce me with my full first name?” Percival whined. “Percy isn't great, but it's better than that.”

“It makes you sound terribly pretentious, that's why,” Arthur said with a grin.

“It's better than when he wanted us to call him Perce, before we explained to him that's what women carry their things around in,” Gwaine laughed.

“I hadn't thought about it like that!” Percival snapped defensively. “Anyway, shouldn't we be teasing the new guy? Why did you have to 'disarm' him, Arthur?”

Merlin felt the blush creeping back into his face. “Eh, he's shy,” Arthur said.

That surprised Merlin. When Arthur had made the statement about disarming, he had assumed Arthur would share that Merlin liked to classify people (essentially making himself a judgmental prat) and alienate him from Arthur's friends. Instead, Arthur condensed their conversation to Merlin's motives for classification, and left it at that. Arthur was observant and insightful, and he was very considerate of Merlin to boot. Much as Merlin loathed to admit it, those were all very attractive qualities. But Arthur was straight.

“I can see,” Lancelot said, giving Merlin a friendly smile.

The waitress came and took their orders. She brought Arthur and Merlin their drinks a moment later; the others had already received theirs. “So, who are you, Merlin?” Gwaine asked simply.

Merlin froze. The defining title he tended to be known by was not something he announced. “Who is anyone? Nobody is completely sure who they are. There is always another dark corner to prod, another weakness to assess. Self-awareness is a never-ending chore,” Merlin said, feeling it was a sufficient dodge.

They just stared at him for a moment. Then Lancelot said, “I like this guy.”

“Definitely,” Percival agreed.

Gwaine nodded, but he wasn't going to be thrown off track so easily. “Okay, I'll be more specific, lest you wax philosophy again. What are you majoring in?”

“English. I'm minoring in business management.” Merlin said. He tried not to think about why he _had_ to minor in business management.

“Is that why you're so well-spoken?” Lancelot asked.

“No doubt,” Arthur said disparagingly.

“Hey, you could take a lesson from him,” Percival teased. “A powerful man like yourself could use good verbal skills like his, down the line.”

Arthur shot Percy a glare, and Percy abruptly fell silent. Merlin had thought Percy had been teasing about Arthur being a powerful man, but Arthur's reaction made him reconsider. Arthur didn't want Merlin knowing something about him. Fair enough, there were things Merlin wanted to hide as well. And while he acknowledged to himself that mutual respect of privacy was best, he had a fierce curiosity as to what Arthur was hiding.

Lancelot cut through the growing awkward silence by asking, “Merlin, do you do any sports?”

Merlin barked out a laugh. “Do I look like I do any sports?”

“Running, maybe swimming,” Lancelot said, his gaze assessing Merlin's frame.

Merlin tried to ignore the glorious chill that gaze gave him, and asked, “What sort of sports do you fellas play?”

“Swordplay and various other melee weapons, martial arts, a little archery...” Lancelot trailed off, trying to think of something he might have missed.

“Horseback riding,” Percy threw in.

“That's not a sport,” Gwaine corrected.

“So you're all fighters?” Merlin guessed.

“Knights,” Percy said.

At a quirked eyebrow from Merlin, Arthur sighed and explained. “Because of our particular set of interests, our group has acquired the title of Knights. It stuck, and there are worse things to be dubbed.”

That made Merlin smile. “Almost makes it sound as if you're superheros. Why not go out and defend justice, use your talents to fight crime?”

“I plan to,” Lancelot said. “I'm going to be a police officer. Maybe I'll even make command, one day.”

“Fight crime with swords and bows?” Merlin wondered.

Lancelot laughed. “If only! No, I'm also trained with guns. Unfortunately, I still have a lot to improve on in that area, whereas I'm quite skilled with swordplay.”

“Lance has a lot to live up to,” Percy explained.

Gwaine cuffed Percy on the back of his head. When Percy protested, Gwaine said, “If we _were_ superheros, you'd be the idiot who ripped off our masks on accident.”

“What?” Percy whined. “Arthur brought Merlin, so what's the harm?”

His statement earned him another cuff. “Take off your own mask, and let everyone else wear them as they will,” Gwaine said, his tone one of stern reprimand.

“Um...” Merlin didn't know if he should leave or just remain silent.

“I like Merlin, I'll trust him,” Lancelot said. “My father's the Chief of Police of Camelot.”

“Oh,” Merlin said, careful to keep his face neutral and hope that no one noticed him breaking out into a nervous sweat.

“See? He's fine,” Lancelot said, gesturing to Merlin. Percy nodded, but Gwaine and Arthur didn't look convinced.

“That must be rough then, trying to break into the same world as your father without being seen as riding his coattails,” Merlin said, trying to regain his composure. He realized that Lancelot might be offended by the last bit, and added, “Sorry if that was rude. I just can't imagine the myriad of dilemmas that you have to deal with to distinguish yourself from your father.”

Lancelot had been listening intently to Merlin, his face also a careful mask, but then he smiled warmly. “You sound like you know a lot about it.”

'Calm, keep calm, this is a trap, and you need to stay calm,' Merlin told himself sternly.

“Not really, I'm just very good at viewing perspectives.” Merlin shrugged.

“Our waitress is bringing the food out,” Gwaine said. He looked at Merlin a little less critically, but Merlin could feel Arthur's intense interest focused on him. It was unnerving, given the clues that Arthur was someone in power, or going to be, and the fact that all the men seemed to be connected and not wanting to talk about family would indicate that it wasn't just Lancelot and Arthur who had powerful connections.

Merlin realized that he had just walked into the dragon's den.


	2. Introductions and Connections

“So, your friends are all quite nice,” Merlin said as they entered their apartment.

“Told you so,” Arthur said, his playful boast putting Merlin more at ease. It had been quiet on the drive home. Arthur had kept the radio on so it wasn't silent, but they hadn't talked.

“Am I to be a tag-along until I get my feet, or will they be my friends too?” Merlin asked. It came out a bit more blunt than he had intended.

Arthur raised his eyebrows at Merlin's passive-aggressive interrogation. “Isn't that up to you?” Arthur asked.

That made Merlin smile again. “Good point. Sorry, I'm just tired.”

“It's 2:30,” Arthur said.

“Eh, moving is tiring. As you put it, I'm a 'scrawny little git' and all the lifting and carrying has me quite fatigued.”

“Long day,” Arthur agreed with a yawn. “Maybe you should invite that bird...Gwen, was it? You should invite her over.”

“For what purpose?” Merlin asked skeptically.

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Before I can know if I really fancy her, I have to get to know her, don't I?”

“Ye-es,” Merlin said, drawing the word out to emphasize the obviousness of that statement. “But what will we do?”

“Oh. I thought we might watch a movie or something.”

“Okay. What movie?” Merlin asked.

“Uh, Sword in the Stone?” Arthur offered.

Merlin snorted. “How about something without singing fish?”

“Would she like Twilight?”

“That's too gay for _me_ , Arthur. Besides, Gwen is very hostile towards dependent-woman stereotypes,” Merlin informed him.

“Then you tell me what she would like,” Arthur said with a frown.

“She loves V for Vendetta,” Merlin said.

Arthur blinked. “I was expecting something a bit more of a chic flic.”

Rolling his eyes, Merlin said, “If you haven't noticed, Gwen isn't a weak woman. And she doesn't like oppressive regimes. The movie is well-suited to her tastes.”

Arthur tilted his head in curious inquiry. “Is Gwen very political?”

The question was asked as though he was asking her favorite color, but Merlin knew that both he and Gwen had to be careful about voicing opinions. Gwen had a tendency to be less cautious than he was about that, so he was almost glad Arthur had asked him rather than her.

“She's majoring in History. And she loves nothing better than learning about bloody revolution,” Merlin said, smiling. If he made her interest seem academic, then whoever Arthur was or was related to would have to get more evidence before they could make bad things happen to her. And he didn't care who Arthur was; if he hurt Gwen, Merlin would use his magic to flay Arthur alive. Gwen wasn't the only protective one.

Of course, doing so would most certainly seal Merlin's fate, even if Arthur was the son of a baker. Magic wasn't allowed in Camelot, or anywhere in Albion. And while Merlin was good at hiding his magic after years of practice, he was more wary of befriending Arthur's friends because he might slip up, and they would call the police to take him away for trial and death. Or in Lancelot's case, apparently, he could call his father. And one day he would be able to arrest Merlin himself. There was nothing but trouble with them. Almost.

Merlin's father was the leader of the resistance group of Druids, and he was supposed to take over if anything happened. And the part of him that his father had molded, the defiant, calculating part, thought that befriending them would be a great opportunity. He didn't like that part of himself.

“Cripes, I'm terrible with History. That eliminates any of that as a discussion topic. Although perhaps she could help me study sometime,” Arthur said thoughtfully.

“Already plotting to rope her in?” Merlin teased, trying to shake off his dark thoughts. “I thought you weren't sure if you liked her.”

“More like I need confirmation. From what I've seen and what you've said, she's exactly the kind of girl I go for,” Arthur explained.

“Which of her traits line up with your preferences?” Merlin asked, honestly curious.

“Protective, loyal, headstrong, and a capability and maybe even a penchant for violence,” Arthur listed, ticking them off on his fingers.

Merlin mentally slapped himself when he ticked them off in his head against his own personality. 'Arthur is straight. He wants to pursue Gwen. And given all signs and indications, Arthur would be nothing but trouble for you anyway,' he told himself sternly.

He smiled, feeling a little sad, and said, “I'll go call Gwen.”

(-)

After Merlin got off the phone with Gwen, a fair bit longer conversation than an invite, given all the information Gwen wanted, he opened the door to his room. “She'll be here in an hour.”

“From the length of your conversation, you had to do some serious convincing to get her to come, didn't you?” Arthur looked miserable.

“Not too much. She had to set the phone down for a bit, and I had to wait for her to come back,” Merlin lied. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. She _had_ pulled away from her phone to sneeze.

“Oh,” Arthur said, visibly brightening. And seeing Arthur smile made Merlin smile a little too.

“Bad Boy” by Cascada started coming out of Arthur's pocket. He started and frowned, pulling the phone out and answering it. He headed to his own room, glaring at Merlin, who was laughing hysterically.

He was still laughing a minute later when Arthur came back out of his room, tucking his phone back into his jeans' pocket and sitting on the couch. “Shut up,” Arthur scowled.

“Is there something you want to tell me, Arthur? Maybe something you've been denying?” Merlin asked, not completely managing to stifle his laughter.

“Look, I let my friends set their own ringtones,” Arthur said.

“And she wants a purely physical non-platonic relationship with you?” Merlin chortled.

Arthur scowled and glared harder, but Merlin also saw the blush creep into his face. “He probably thought it would be funny. And apparently he was right.”

Merlin started to calm as he heard the pronoun used. “That was a guy's ringtone? I'm guessing he's your bisexual friend.”

“Yeah. Mind if he joins us tonight?” Arthur asked.

Merlin weighed that question. On one hand, it was likely someone from Arthur's circle, a dangerous person to drop his guard around. On the other hand, they were really nice guys, and Merlin couldn't help but feel a little lonely. Maybe a blind date (because he was fairly certain that was what was going on) would help ease that. It couldn't hurt to get to know the guy.

“No, I don't mind,” Merlin said.

Arthur smiled. “Great.” He got his phone out again and texted his friend.

“Hey, which of them is it?” Merlin asked.

Arthur's smile became a sly grin. “He's coming over in an hour, you can wait to find out.”

When Merlin pouted at that, Arthur laughed. And then Merlin grinned, a devious look on his face as he pulled out his own cell. “What are you doing?” Arthur asked, already wary.

“Texting Gwen,” Merlin said, his voice innocent, though his face thoroughly belied that.

“About what?”

“I'm sharing an anecdote from my day,” Merlin said.

Arthur looked at him for a second before his eyes widened, and he got off the couch and dove at Merlin. “Don't tell her about that!” Arthur protested as he struggled for the phone. It should have been easy, but though Merlin wasn't nearly as strong, his limbs were long, and he had better flexibility.

“Are you ashamed of him?” Merlin asked as they struggled.

“No, but Gwen doesn't need to know that my bisexual friend finds me attractive and likes to tease me,” Arthur insisted. He had Merlin against the wall now, and Merlin had his phone in his hand, stretching as high as it could go. Arthur almost had it.

“Parley!” Merlin blurted, thinking this situation was getting way too hot to handle. Arthur's muscled frame felt fantastic against his, and he loved how the solid weight of it pushed him into the wall. This was going to get awkward, fast.

Arthur paused and took a step back. “What do you want?”

“Tell me who your friend is, the one you're trying to set me up with,” Merlin said.

Eyes narrowing, Arthur said, “You want me to betray my friend's confidence.”

“No,” Merlin said, “I want you to betray his identity, which he's going to do anyway when he shows up. I only want to know who I'm dealing with.”

Arthur considered that. “Lancelot,” he said.

Merlin had a small pleased grin as he said, “Knew it!”

“You promise not to tell Gwen?”

“She wouldn't think less of you, but yes, I promise.”

“Thank you. Bloody embarrassing, remind me to clout Lance when he gets here.”

“I'll see how the night goes first,” Merlin said.

An hour later, Arthur remembered on his own anyway. Lancelot arrived before Gwen did, and Arthur gave him a firm slug in the shoulder. “Ow!” Lancelot protested, “What was that for?”

“The bloody ringtone on my phone,” Arthur said.

It took Lancelot a moment to recall. “Oh, that? Well, you _can_ be my weekend lover,” Lancelot said, a teasing grin on his face.

“I'll pass,” Arthur said firmly, but without malice. “Come in, we're waiting for Merlin's girlfriend to show up.”

Confusion clouded Lancelot's face as he stepped inside, and Arthur closed the door behind him. “Girlfriend? But with the bracelets and everything, I thought...”

“My mistake. His female close acquaintance,” Arthur corrected.

“Ah,” Lancelot said, immediate cheer and a hint of embarrassment showing on his face.

“Everything?” Merlin asked. “What else told you I was gay?” He kept the inquiry light, and kept his face neutral. He wanted to know what Lancelot would say. He probably wouldn't be offended, but Lancelot didn't need to know that yet.

“Um, well, you're very slender and the way you move...” Lancelot started, but trailed off. “Call it gaydar,” he said at last.

“Fair enough,” Merlin said, giving him a smile. “Just curious. I don't suppose Arthur was one of the things that told you I was gay, was he?”

Stifling his own grin, Lancelot feigned thought. “It might have come up at some point, I can't remember.” Then he considered something for real. “Did Arthur tell you about me?”

“Non-specifically. I knew it was one of the three of you at lunch. I had to use some friendly blackmail to get your name, and he relinquished it only after I pointed out that you were coming here, so I'd find out anyway.” Merlin shrugged. “He's loyal.”

“And while _he's_ tried to be polite, _he_ feels the need to remind you that _he_ is standing right here!” Arthur growled.

There was something more than annoyance in Arthur right then. Merlin saw anger, real anger, embarrassment, and fear. Something about their conversation had really upset him. Lancelot apparently had a better grasp of what it was. “Arthur, can I talk to you for a minute? In private?” he asked carefully, also acknowledging that something was wrong.

Arthur nodded and turned towards his room. Lancelot gave Merlin a “one minute” finger, and followed Arthur, closing the door behind them. Merlin, burning with curiosity, sprawled backwards over arm of the couch and Listened. He used his magic to extend his hearing over to Arthur's room. His control wasn't precise, but he could still hear a great deal more than he could without.

“Arthur, you know you can trust me. I would never betray you, especially not about _that_.”

“You're making me regret trying to set you two up. If you're going to be discussing me and exchanging information now, how much worse will it be if you two get involved?” Arthur asked, his voice distant.

“You know me better than that. And if Merlin started trying to _use me_ for information, you know I'd completely forget him, never speak to him again. And we don't even know if he is interested in me. You need to calm down, Arthur. I won't betray your trust,” Lancelot said, and the last statement was quiet and sincere.

There was a long pause then, “Okay.”

A couple of steps later, Arthur was opening his door, and Merlin quickly let go of his power. “Are we making popcorn?” Merlin asked, not caring that it was obvious he wanted to cover the awkwardness.

Lancelot gave him a grateful grin and said, “I think I'm hungrier than popcorn. I vote pizza.”

“But then we have to wage war about toppings,” Merlin complained, rolling his eyes.

“Ha, I'd overpower you both easily,” Arthur scoffed, starting to sound more like himself.

“That sounds like a challenge,” Lancelot said, quirking an eyebrow at Merlin.

“Hey, don't look at me, I'm sure he could take me,” Merlin said, shrugging. “I vote pepperoni-mushroom.”

“Supreme is the only way to go,” Arthur argued.

Lancelot was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. Arthur went to open the door, and moved aside to let Gwen in. “What are we fighting about?” Gwen asked, taking in the subtly-veiled tense atmosphere.

“Pizza toppings,” Merlin promptly informed her. He was grinning at her, and he pulled himself off of his back and hugged his knees, legs still dangling off the arm of the couch. “Hi, Gwen.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Pepperoni-mushroom, of course.”

“Hey!” Arthur protested, “Why are you taking his side?”

Giving Arthur a look that plainly stated that she thought he was an idiot, Gwen said, “I've known him for years. That's the only kind of pizza Merlin eats.”

“Really?” Arthur asked, glancing over at Merlin. From hugging his knees, Merlin had retreated to hiding behind them, only his eyes showing.

Gwen sighed. “Don't be silly, Merlin, lots of people are picky eaters.”

Merlin reluctantly pulled his face up, a light blush on his cheeks. “Yeah, that's the kind of pizza I eat.”

“I've heard of this crazy thing pizza places do now where they don't limit your order to one pizza,” Lancelot put in, seeing Merlin's discomfort. “Believe it or not, they'll let you order all kinds of pizzas, _at the same time_.”

Gwen grinned and nodded, “True, there are four of us. Three of which are men.”

Arthur looked between himself, Lancelot, and Merlin, his face feigning very casual surprise. “Really? I hadn't noticed.”

“I find it hard not to,” Gwen replied, and she was eyeing Lancelot as she spoke.

Seeing Arthur's tension rising again, Merlin said, “So, a pepperoni-mushroom, a supreme, and at least one more, right?”

“Meat lovers?” Lancelot suggested.

“That sounds good,” Arthur nodded. He pulled his cell phone out and walked away from them to order the pizzas.

“So, Merlin mentioned that you and Arthur are in a...Fight Club, or something?” Gwen said to Lancelot almost as soon as Arthur's back was turned.

Lancelot laughed. “No, more like a few of our friends and us share similar disciplines. I'm Lancelot by the way.”

“Gwen. But disciplines? Like...?” Gwen prompted.

“Swordplay, other melee weapons, martial arts, archery, and horseback riding,” Lancelot listed. “Our hobbies gained us the nickname 'Knights'. Sounds silly, but it's rather apt.”

“Horses?” Gwen said, and the spark in her eyes was the one that drew any men in the vicinity in. Even Merlin, and he wasn't attracted to women. “How can you go horseback riding when we're in Camelot?”

“Oh, we leave the city, of course,” Lancelot replied. Merlin suspected that his family had a house and property in the country for such purposes. He had told Gwen who Lancelot's father was, so she would be careful, but mindful of Lancelot saying he trusted Merlin, Merlin had told her that it was strictly for her to know to protect herself, and to not let anyone, including Lancelot, know that she was aware of his identity.

“Horses,” Gwen said again, a small wistful smile growing on her lips.

“Gwen watched a lot of 'My Little Pony' when we were little,” Merlin said casually.

“Merlin!” Gwen scowled at him and quickly searched for something non-lethal to throw at him. There was a box of tissues on an end table. She took them and tossed them at him, trying to hide her blush and embarrassment.

Merlin shielded his face, and the box bounced off his arms. “You did!” he protested.

“What did I miss?” Arthur asked, looking between Merlin and Gwen.

“Merlin trying to provoke me,” Gwen said shortly. “Although I thought he had learned by now that that isn't wise.”

“I thought you had learned that I'm often unwise,” Merlin retorted. “Shall I tell them about your 'My Little Pony' collection?”

“Should I mention the security blanket you slept with until you were twelve?” Gwen shot back, eyes narrowed.

“Touché,” Merlin said. “Truce?”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Fine. When it comes to who has more dirt on who, I come out on top, and an easy victory like that is boring.”

Now that they had settled matters, they could hear the ill-stifled laughter coming from Arthur and Lancelot. “Can I ask what kind of blanket?” Arthur wondered, trying to hold back the full force of his amusement.

“We called truce, ask him,” Gwen said, washing her hands of the matter.

Both Lancelot and Arthur looked at Merlin expectantly. He sighed. “It was a large print of Snow White and her Prince Charming.”

“A pale short-black-haired girl dancing with a handsome guy. That's telling,” Arthur said. He looked thoughtful now, with only faint traces of amusement remaining on his face.

Merlin blushed. Arthur seemed to be extraordinarily good at seeing through Merlin, and apparently making insights that Merlin himself had missed. He'd never considered his blankie that way before. But it _did_ make sense. And his mother had known before he had that he preferred men.

When he was young he had seen a man executed by a firing squad on the news. The announcer detailed that the man had been caught using magic. Merlin couldn't sleep after that. He was afraid they would know he could use magic, and they would come and take him in his sleep. When he told his mother why he was afraid, she had bought him the blanket.

“See?” she'd asked, pointing at Prince Charming. “That's Prince Charming. He's a great protector, and he's honor-bound to protect the innocent. He'll keep you safe while you sleep. He won't let anyone harm you for being blessed with magic.” He slept soundly only with his blanket after that.

“I think it's kinda cute,” Lancelot said, a small smile on his face, not entirely of amusement.

“It's adorable. Merlin is looking for his prince,” Arthur teased.

Merlin blushed and scowled furiously at Arthur. He was sorely tempted to curse Arthur, just a small curse. But it wasn't worth it. He knew it wasn't worth it because the sensible, non-suicidal part of him sternly told him so. Gwen must have seen where his thoughts were, because she said, “Shame that Camelot is out of princes, then.” She poked Arthur's chest. “All they have left, apparently, is prats.”

“I don't know, Lancelot is fairly princely, and he's here in Camelot,” Arthur said, pretending to study his friend. “Yes, actually, he's very noble, isn't he? Quite chivalrous, too.”

“That's why I obviously wasn't referring to Lancelot,” Gwen said lightly.

Arthur's mouth twisted in a frown. Merlin could see quite clearly that Arthur wasn't happy with the way the evening was going so far. If Gwen saw, she didn't mind because she started talking to Lancelot, pointedly ignoring Arthur.

And Arthur was still quite puzzling to Merlin, who couldn't place him in a solid category. He clearly had some issues with his family (from the way he hid them) and maybe a few between him and Lancelot, still had prattish tendencies, and thinking of how they had wrestled when he'd tried to text Gwen about Arthur's ringtone, he probably had a deep need to prove himself and maintain an image.

What was the saying? “An enigma bound in a riddle shrouded by mystery contained in a schizophrenic”? Probably not. Merlin had never been able to get that quote right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original/Outdated Notes: Well, that's done. And yes, all the pop-culture references did come flying out of nowhere. (And Sword in the Stone was probably a misplaced one, since they would probably take note of the same names but *shrug* it's fanfiction.) Also, Listening is from Harry Dresden, but anyone who noticed that and has seen my profile would know I'm not really hiding that piece of creative theft. XP
> 
> Also, to answer you, superbored85, I agree that Gwen is plenty OOC. But given that Morgana is Arthur's sister and I thought Merlin would probably have drawn a protective female friend to him by this point in his life, Gwen kinda took up that role.
> 
> I was actually more worried about Arthur being OOC in the first chapter. He was so insightful and understanding and considerate I was thinking, “No way will they buy this as Arthur!” So I threw a bit more prat in this chapter.
> 
> Also, should the next chapter get into them watching V for Vendetta with some commentary as well as possible other bits, or just skip most of it and continue? If you have an idea and/or want to review, please feel free to review. But mostly, thanks for reading! ^_^
> 
> Current Notes: They watch V for Vendetta in the next chapter.


	3. Storm the Bastille

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original/Outdated Notes: Chapter three! I've planned to put something a little more action-y in the end of this chapter. Hope it pans out.
> 
> Current Notes: It more or less does.

“Well this is rather disappointing,” Arthur muttered to Merlin. He was on one end of the couch as they sat in the dark watching V for Vendetta. Merlin was on his left, Lancelot was next to Merlin, and on the opposite end Gwen sat. She and Lancelot were seated very close together as they talked to each other about the movie.

“I guess this doesn't happen to you much?” Merlin asked casually. They spoke in lower voices towards each other, so Gwen and Lancelot wouldn't overhear. Of course, in order to overhear anything, they'd have to be paying some kind of attention to Merlin or Arthur, so they were fairly safe in any case.

“No, of course not,” Arthur pouted.

“Happens to me all the time,” Merlin said evenly. “The guy I think I want to date chases after a girl instead. Story of my life.”

“Oh, yeah,” Arthur said, looking a bit embarrassed. “Sorry, didn't mean to discount that.”

“It's okay. I'm desensitized, at least a bit, by now,” Merlin shrugged.

“I wouldn't think you'd have trouble finding a guy in a big city like Camelot,” Arthur noted.

Merlin raised one eyebrow in question. “Why do you think it would be easy?”

Arthur was fairly red now, Merlin could tell, even in the dim light coming from the TV screen. “Well, you are fairly cute, as Gwen pointed out. And there have to be a fairly large number of gay men...”

“The problem there is that I'm stupid,” Merlin cut in, seeing Arthur getting more uncomfortable. “I don't go out looking through people who actually will date me. It just kinda happens sometimes with people I know.”

Merlin said “people”, even though they both knew he meant “men” because he wanted to downplay the fact that Arthur definitely fell under the category of “guys Merlin knows that he could randomly start wanting”. Arthur looked uncomfortable enough.

He must have looked pretty down, because Arthur nudged him. “Cheer up. I'm sure one day your prince will come.” Arthur winked at him, a sign of subtle teasing.

Merlin blinked at him. “You've seen Snow White enough to remember that?”

“Remember what?” Arthur asked, looking puzzled.

Merlin sighed loudly. “Nevermind.”

“Did you say something, Merlin?” Gwen asked, apparently noticing his sudden appearance on the couch.

“I'm _trying_ to storm the Bastille over here, do you mind?” Merlin asked her in a playfully annoyed manner.

“Okay, Merlin,” Gwen said, turning back to the movie. “Vive la revolucion.”

“What was that about?” Arthur asked. He looked thoroughly perplexed.

“She wasn't really paying attention,” Merlin said, rolling his eyes. “I could have told her I was bombing Pearl Harbor, and she would have made some history-related reply on reflex.”

It was true. But he and Gwen had been using historical references and situations to speak in code for years. What he had just said equated to “I'm talking to a straight guy about sensitive issues, do you mind?” because Merlin had told Gwen that straight guys were like fortresses when a gay guy was around; always on their guard.

Her reply had said, “Continue, I support you in your efforts.”

“You two are very attuned to each other,” Arthur noted. “The rest of us think you're both crazy, but that apparently doesn't bother you.”

“And no one calls you crazy for practicing swordplay in an age where guns and explosives are the weapons of choice?” Merlin asked, lifting his eyebrows.

“Touché.” Arthur nodded. “But you and she still stick out more than either I or Lancelot do. Is it hard to stick out like that?”

“Well, I got teased and picked on a lot when I was younger. Now people mostly stare. And compared to some of the more extreme bullying you run into for being a gay teen in highschool, stares are almost fun.” Merlin shrugged.

He usually wore skinny jeans and t-shirts long enough to cover his torso properly. But with the bracelets and the kind of graphics that were usually on his t-shirts, his look said “gay and proud”. Gwen sewed a lot of her own clothing, so much of her wardrobe was composed of medieval and Renaissance styles, since she could make as many garments as she wanted.

“I'm sure you get stared at a lot too.” Merlin shrugged. “Your stares are just subtitled 'Yum' while mine are subtitled 'Fag'.”

“'Yum'? How am I 'Yum', Merlin?” Arthur asked with a chuckle.

Merlin rolled his eyes. “You know you're a gorgeous guy. And I never should have said it because now you're grinning, you cocky bastard.”

Arthur laughed, “'Not your type'? I knew you were lying!” He stuck his tongue out at Merlin. “I am equally attractive to all orientations,” he boasted.

“Um, not to lesbians,” Merlin pointed out. “And you just got _way_ too excited about that.”

Arthur paused, his mouth still smiling, then it faded. “I kinda did, didn't I?” He shrugged then, surprising Merlin. “I suppose my ego is not to be denied, ever.”

“Arthur?” Merlin said, giving him a frank look. When Arthur hummed to acknowledge that he was listening, Merlin told him, “You're really bloody strange.”

“Am not!” Arthur denied.

“You make no goddamn sense,” Merlin insisted.

“Do so!” Arthur protested.

“Shall I get a second and third opinion?” Merlin asked, turning to Lancelot and Gwen.

“ _No!_ ” Arthur hissed, and he put a hand over Merlin's mouth and pulled him away from the pair. Of course, that pulled Merlin very much into Arthur. In fact, as they stilled in their awkward moment, Merlin could feel Arthur's rapid heartbeat against his back. They both glanced over at Lancelot and Gwen to make sure they weren't looking, and they weren't. They were kissing. Arthur's arms tightened around Merlin for a moment, and Merlin assumed he was jealous and angry. Then he let Merlin go.

“Um...” Merlin said quietly. “That was weird. You okay, Arthur?”

“Yeah,” Arthur replied just as quietly, with no inflection. “Yeah. I'm fine.”

“Call the acting awards committee and tell them to cancel, because I'm not buying it,” Merlin said. “Something is bothering you. Maybe something more than your supposed date making out with mine.”

He could see Arthur struggling with something, something he obviously was having a hard time saying. “I just-”

“You guys okay over there?” Lancelot asked.

“We're fine,” Merlin replied, but he held Arthur's gaze and raised his eyebrows in inquiry. “We're headed to the 1860 elections for president of the United States, but other than that...”

“Oh,” Gwen said, subtly nudging Lancelot further away from her. “Well, we've got about five years before we're headed to the theater.”

“And what happens in the meantime?” Merlin asked her dryly.

“Too serious, Merlin.” Gwen shook her head. “Anyway, I should probably get back to my dorm. Busy day tomorrow.”

“Indeed,” Lancelot agreed, sensing the rising tension, “I'll walk you and see that you get there safely.”

“Night, Lancelot, Gwen,” Merlin said as they both gathered themselves to leave. “Gwen, you might want to start drafting your Gettysburg Address.”

“Don't make me kick your ass, Merlin,” Gwen said over her shoulder as they headed towards the door.

When the door closed behind them, Arthur asked, “It's a code?”

“Code?” Merlin asked, carefully stifling the nervous reaction he felt to Arthur's question.

“The nonsense you're spouting. It isn't nonsense.”

“Of course it is. We just enjoy testing each other's grasp of history by making reference to something and seeing if the other can match it,” Merlin said with a shrug. “I won that round. She should have told me to shove a bayonet up my ass.”

“So it's a game?” Arthur asked, plainly still skeptical.

“A game for history nerds.”

“And you call _me_ strange,” Arthur sighed.

“I do. And speaking of-” Merlin began.

“We are _not_ speaking of,” Arthur said, an immovable authority in his tone. He stood up and moved towards his room. “I guess bed is a good idea. When's your first class tomorrow?”

“Nine,” Merlin said, frowning at Arthur's evasiveness.

“Too bloody early, mate. Night,” Arthur said before he closed his bedroom door.

“Well...” Merlin said, looking around the empty room. Those had all been rather hasty exits. “Maybe I smell bad?”

(-)

Merlin walked out of his European Literature class feeling a little less intimidated than he had been before. There was a lot of work ahead, sure, and the professor talked fast, but he was equal to it. He was about to head across campus and he had just turned the corner into the stairwell when someone stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Yes?” Merlin asked, turning to look.

The boy was built upon the model of blocks of stone and maybe some very roughly-crafted golems. His huge blocky frame seemed to loom over Merlin. “Nice bracelets,” he said shortly.

Really? Merlin was going to get the super-muscle bully on his first day of classes? That figured. “Yes, very decorative and colorful. Do you have a point?”

“You're gay,” the boy said, and he seemed to expect Merlin to verify, although the statement wasn't a question.

“Indeed I am. Anything else? Perhaps a meaningful discussion of what brand of jeans I'm wearing?” Merlin asked, patience wearing thin.

The golem-boy smirked. “Smart-mouthed little fag. Maybe I should take you somewhere quiet and find better uses for that mouth.”

Merlin's impatience evaporated to be replaced by a sharp stab of alarm. He had expected posturing and maybe physical violence. He had not expected the prospect of sexual molestation and perhaps rape. “Maybe not,” he said in as firm a voice as he could now manage. He didn't want to show the golem that he was frightened. He tried to walk past the boy and get down the stairs.

When the hand closed around his arm and gripped it tightly enough to hurt, Merlin had to fight down his urge to panic and struggle. He instead tried to project strength and certainty. “You had better let go of me.”

“Or what?”

“Or you'll regret it, _obviously_ ,” Merlin said, keeping a scornful tone of derision in his voice.

The boy's grip tightened, and Merlin yelped against his will. “And how will-”

“Hello, Ronald,” came a voice. Merlin looked down the stairs, and Lancelot was standing on the landing below, looking at the bully with determined eyes.

Merlin looked back, and the golem-boy had narrowed his eyes but did not reply. “I wasn't aware you knew Merlin,” Lancelot continued. “No doubt you are calling him a 'disgusting fag' and condemning his existence.”

Merlin's eyebrows shot up. “Actually, he seemed to be intent upon dragging me away for sexual molestation and possible rape.”

That made Lancelot raise his eyebrows, and a slow grin spread across his face. He started climbing up the stairs and when he reached the top and met the bully's eyes, he said, “Well, that is surprising, coming from a former friend who shunned me for being a 'disgusting fag'. Although we all know what homophobia _really_ says about you.”

The bully still didn't speak, he just kept glaring at Lancelot. Lancelot took Merlin's arm and, after an initial resistant squeeze, the bully let him go. “Come on, Merlin,” Lancelot said pointedly. “I'll walk you home.”

“Sounds good to me,” Merlin murmured.

As they walked down the stairs, neither looked back. Merlin, still feeling very anxious, was tempted to, but when he was about to Lancelot said, “Don't. He'll think you're an easy target.”

He held Merlin's hand and gently squeezed it. When they were outside, Merlin sighed with relief. “Thank you.”

“Are you alright?”

“Severely shaken, but not stirred,” Merlin said.

“You must be well enough if you can say odd, cheesy things like that.” Lancelot grinned.

“My cheesy oddity never fails,” Merlin replied, though he was shaking slightly.

“Do you always get such...forceful advances? You _are_ quite adorable, but it was a rather public place to abduct someone.”

“That's never happened to me before,” Merlin said, sounding a bit puzzled himself. “Wait, I'm adorable?”

“Quite,” Lancelot said with a slightly embarrassed grin. “Most people would think you're too tall to be adorable, but you pull it off quite well.”

That made Merlin blush a bit. “Still, I must agree that his plan was quite risky. I don't know what got into him. I'm not worth that much jail time.”

Lancelot surveyed him. “Perhaps in the right situation...of course, I would be _protecting_ you and getting charged with assault or manslaughter. And then, since it was in defense of you, I could possibly not do time at all.”

Now Merlin felt very embarrassed. “That's an odd thing to hear from someone aspiring to be a police officer.”

“I want be a police officer to protect the innocent, the defenseless.” Lancelot shrugged, as though the logic was self-evident.

“That isn't all police officers do,” Merlin said, before he could stop himself.

“Well, though everyone loathes a speeding ticket, those speed limits are there for a reason,” Lancelot said. After he examined Merlin's nervous expression, he noted, “But that isn't what you're referring to.”

“Maybe not,” Merlin said quietly.

Lancelot watched him as they walked across campus, until he said, “Well, I must admit the law isn't perfect, but _most_ of it has very sensible reasoning behind it that is designed to make Albion a safe place to live.”

“Most of it?” Merlin asked. He slapped himself mentally, because it would have been easy to let the conversation end there and instead he furthered the dangerous discussion.

“Well, yeah. Nothing is perfect, and the law is no exception. There are parts which should be changed. But it's hard to do that from the outside. If I can become a policeman, and maybe someday a chief, I could build a good argument for having the laws changed. Bring evidence and cases to light that have been hidden,” Lancelot said. He glanced at Merlin, who looked stunned. “I'm trusting you not to tell anyone what I've just told you. I must appear to be a good son.” He gave Merlin a grim smile. “But I think you know something about that.”

Merlin's eyes went wide. “What do you mean?”

“After what you said when we met, I got a feeling. So I did some quiet digging. You're Balinor's son and heir,” Lancelot said.

Merlin pulled his hand from Lancelot's and took a careful step back. He looked very afraid. “Then why did you save me?”

Lancelot raised his eyebrows and gave Merlin a disbelieving look. “Merlin, you were in trouble. He was going to _rape_ you. I could never live with myself if I had walked away when I could have stopped it. And besides, your father doesn't define who you are. I know that all too well.”

“You won't tell?” Merlin asked cautiously.

Lancelot sighed. “Merlin, I knew who you were and just told you that I don't agree with the system as it is. You could get me into a fair amount of trouble if you told anyone.”

“You could get me into more,” Merlin countered.

Seeming to deflate, Lancelot said, his tone insistent, “I am trying to tell you that I trust you. And you can trust me.”

He held his hand out to Merlin. “Let me walk you home. I don't want anything else to happen to you between here and there.”

Merlin was taking his hand before he thought about it. Was this the day his prince had come?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original/Outdated Notes: BUM BUM BUUUUUM!!! XD (Yes, I am aware of the gay joke in that.) And don't worry your pretty little heads about things, it will all turn out as it is supposed to. (And as advertised in the pairing filter.) One last thing, I would like to sincerely apologize for the horribly cliché/stereotypical “homophobic-bully-intends-rape-scene”. It had me stalled for quite a while while I tried to make it less cliché/stereotypical, but after so long, I decided I'd rather get it over with and move on, since the bully isn't a major character. Let me know what you think, and what your ideas are, if you get the time. Hope to keep the updates coming.
> 
> (A/N: While I hope the in-story explanation of “storming the Bastille” is sufficient, I feel I should clarify the other reference, in case you aren't familiar with American history and/or don't feel like googling it. XP Lincoln was elected president in 1860, and about five years later was shot in Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth while watching Our American Cousin. Of course, in-between that was the Civil War. And now you know because KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!)
> 
> Current Notes: More relationship drama in the next chapter, and Merlin's magic starts to have its own fun.


	4. Conflicted Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original/Outdated Notes: Hello, I yet live. I got busy with work and our production of Macbeth, so while I was busy sewing costumes, skittering around stage in a skin-tight morphsuit, and checking people out as a cashier, I was letting most other things slide, including this.
> 
> It occurs to me that I never thanked everyone who reviewed. I really do appreciate it. Feedback always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and makes me squee like a fangirl. No idea what's going to happen in this chapter. Let's see where it goes, shall we?
> 
> Current Notes: Still get warm fuzzies. And the conflict in this chapter gets Merlin's magic riled up.

Arthur was eating a bowl of cereal on the couch when Lancelot opened the door for Merlin, and they both came in. Merlin stiffened as he remembered that he had forgotten to ask whether Lancelot had told Arthur. “Trix, Arthur? It's 10:30. Did you just wake up?” Lancelot asked scoldingly.

Arthur took another bite and stubbornly didn't answer. “You're mad about the thing last night with Gwen.” Lancelot sighed.

“Just a little,” Merlin said, rolling his eyes. “Are you two alpha-males going to thump your chests and screech, or can I sit down and read my homework?”

“Do what you like,” Lancelot replied. “I guess I should leave.”

As soon as his back was turned, Arthur said, “I suppose I should be impressed that you've managed to snag Merlin as well as Gwen.”

Merlin settled himself on a chair at the wooden table with a sigh, and Lancelot gave Arthur an impatient look. “I didn't snag him, I saved him. From Ronald, who was apparently set on abducting and raping Merlin.”

At that, Arthur sat up and set his bowl down on the coffee table. “Are you joking?”

“No. I found them at the top of the stairs, although I initially thought Ronald was just going to beat him up.”

“That arsehole! He was one of the worst of them when you came out. Little twit turns out to be more aggressively into men than you!” Arthur fumed.

Merlin was quite pleased to note that Arthur's pouting and irritation at Lancelot had swiftly turned to siding with him and defending him when the golem was brought up. “I walked Merlin home to make sure Ronald or any other creeps didn't try to get him before he got here. Maybe we should get him a mace...or some Mace. He is apparently too attractive for his own good,” Lancelot said, grinning at Merlin, who blushed.

“Yeesh, Merlin, will you need armed escorts to your classes now?” Arthur teased.

“This is an isolated incident,” Merlin insisted, “and I highly doubt it will ever happen again.”

“Your chastity is nothing to bet with, Merlin. We should teach you to fight,” Arthur said decisively.

Merlin felt his ears burning. “Why do you assume I'm so chaste?” Merlin asked angrily, not caring that this was probably not a discussion he should get into with his heterosexual roommate.

Arthur's head rocked back as though Merlin had dealt him a blow. “Mainly because you're so shy. Are you contradicting me?”

Merlin drew his knees up to his chest, and he pouted and looked away from Arthur as he said, “No. Not entirely.”

Arthur blushed a bit and raised his eyebrows, speculation clear on his face. “We should get back to Arthur's point,” Lancelot said. “You should know how to defend yourself.”

“I'm not totally defenseless!” Merlin protested. Of course, his defenses would get him killed if he used them.

“Physically defend yourself,” Lancelot clarified. Merlin's eyes widened a bit, and Lancelot glanced at Arthur and hastened to add, “Although you can verbally spar with any competent foe, it does little to deter less intelligent assailants.”

“I'm not strong enough to fight anybody off,” Merlin said.

“Not all fights are won on strength. Having a knowledge of fighting techniques, weak points in human anatomy, and some practice would go a long way towards keeping you safe,” Arthur told him seriously.

“And you aren't supposed to fight them, not in length at least, you're supposed to disable them and escape,” Lancelot clarified.

“To get one of you big-strong-men-types to protect me?” Merlin said, unable to keep the scorn from his voice.

“Well...yeah,” Arthur said with a shrug.

Merlin considered. “Who's going to teach me anyway? You both have better things to do, I'm sure.”

Lancelot was about to say something but Arthur cut him off. “Lancelot will probably have his schedule overflowing with dates with Gwen, so I'll do it.”

Giving Arthur a hard look, Lancelot said, “Arthur, I think we should talk about this.”

“There isn't much to talk about. Gwen's signals have been pretty clear,” Arthur said, his voice neutral and matter-of-fact.

“But nothing's settled!” Lancelot protested. “For heaven's sake, it was just last night. We haven't talked since then.”

“Do you like her that much to get this upset, Arthur?” Merlin asked quietly from the table. “Or is it only so upsetting because Lancelot is involved?”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Arthur demanded, eyes narrowing even as his face reddened.

“Lancelot seems to be able to upset you to an unreasonable degree. You both just met Gwen yesterday. But since she kissed Lancelot last night, you're far more hot and bothered over the matter than you should be,” Merlin said.

“'Hot and bothered'...Merlin, shut up,” Arthur said firmly.

“Just saying,” Merlin said, holding his hands up in placation.

“No, you're just talking about things you don't have the first bloody clue about!” Arthur snarled.

“Merlin, please. I need to talk with Arthur alone,” Lancelot said. He steered the seething Arthur into Arthur's room again and closed the door. Merlin debated whether he should risk Listening since at least one of them might suspect he could do it. He decided he wanted to know.

“Merlin's not wrong,” Lancelot said. “Please calm down, Arthur.”

“Easy for you to say,” Arthur muttered resentfully.

“Look, I don't know if Gwen and I will be together. Nothings settled, we haven't even discussed the matter. And Merlin...” Lancelot trailed off uneasily.

“Oh, so you want to suck his dick too?” Arthur asked.

“Gwen is a woman, Arthur,” Lancelot said patiently. “No dick to suck there.”

“You know what I mean,” Arthur said firmly.

There was a long pause. “I suppose I do.” Lancelot sighed.

“So are you going to date Gwen and bang Merlin on the side?” Arthur asked.

Merlin heard a frustrated sigh as Lancelot said, “You know, Arthur, I put up with a lot from you because I'm your best friend. I'd rather not put up with such crude, baseless accusations. You _know_ that isn't something I could do.”

“I _suppose_ I do,” Arthur said grudgingly.

“Arthur, you pursue Gwen all you want. I'm going to do as I will, and if that involves me also pursuing Gwen, then it's really up to her who she wants. I don't see much point in us getting upset over it,” Lancelot said. Without warning he opened the door and walked up to Merlin. He handed him a torn scrap of paper. “My cell number. Call me if you get into a bad situation, or if you want to hang out, or even if you just want to talk. I should go, I'll see you later.”

Merlin blushed and nodded, and Lancelot made a hasty exit. Pocketing the number, Merlin stood to go lean on the door frame of Arthur's room. “I'm not sorry about what I said. But I _am_ sorry that it hurt you,” Merlin said quietly.

“It just cuts close,” Arthur replied just as softly.

“Why?”

Arthur shook his head. “It's not something I talk about. Ever.”

“Fair enough,” Merlin said. “Still, plenty of fish in the sea, get back on the horse, all that tripe.”

Snorting softly, Arthur gave Merlin a small smile. “You're quite the motivational speaker.”

“I'm thinking of going on tour,” Merlin agreed.

“Hey, Merlin?” Arthur asked after a few moments of silence.

“What?”

“Why is it you're the only one who would point out how Lance gets to me? Gwaine and Percy must have noticed, but they never said a word.”

“They're your close friends. We aren't that close yet. And there's also the fact that they may be cowed by your enormous ego. Your ego, however, just makes me want to show you when you're being a prat. You'll never learn otherwise,” Merlin said with a teasing smile.

“Gee, I'm so glad you're around to knock me down a peg,” Arthur said, rolling his eyes. “Maybe I can return the favor by teaching you how to avoid molestation.”

“So we're back to self-defense?” Merlin asked with a sigh.

“What do you have against not getting raped?”

“It's not that,” Merlin said.

“Then what is it?”

“I guess...I know I'm not strong or fast, or coordinated...and I don't fancy making a fool out of myself.”

“You don't mind what people think. You wear your bracelets and shirts and form-fitting jeans and to hell with what people think!”

“That's because I'm proud of being gay. I won't be ashamed of that. It's an entirely different matter when it comes to me being clumsy and awkward. There's nothing to be proud of there,” Merlin said dully.

“Why not?”

Merlin gave him a disbelieving look. “You can't be serious. When people applaud me getting beaned in the head with the ball I was trying to catch, it's not really my brightest moment.”

Arthur smiled at him. “When people applaud, Merlin, you bow. Challenge them to be half as clumsy and inept as you and keep their head held high. They probably couldn't.”

“Apparently neither can I.”

“I think you can.”

Rolling his eyes, Merlin said, “I'm not sure where this boundless faith has sprung from, but I'm pretty damn sure it's misplaced.”

“I don't know; there's something about you, Merlin,” Arthur said, a puzzled look on his face. He shook his head as if to clear it. “So, will you let me teach you how to defend yourself?”

Merlin sighed. “I suppose I should. When would we find time?”

“We're roommates, Merlin. When we're both here and have free time, we can hit a gym,” Arthur said. When Merlin balked, he added, “I'll keep the teasing friendly, if that makes you feel better.”

Mock-glaring, Merlin replied, “I'll try not to gush in my outpouring of gratitude.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it, pal,” Arthur said, getting up and clapping him on the back in a manly fashion.

As Arthur passed him to get something from the fridge, Merlin's eyes narrowed in irritation, and Arthur started. “Hey, if you're going to pinch, there are other places to do it!” Arthur complained.

Merlin's eyes went wide. Then he blushed. Not only had he lost control of his magic (which hadn't happened since he was a sophomore in highschool) but apparently his magic decided to pinch Arthur somewhere inappropriate. Merlin was guessing his ass.

Trying to draw attention away from that, Merlin huffed. “I haven't said I want to learn from you.”

“Merlin, you do,” Arthur said assuredly.

“Why hasn't anyone told you that arrogance is unattractive?”

“Because it isn't arrogance if it's true.”

“That makes me feel like disproving you.”

“You're free to try,” Arthur said with a permissive wave of his hand.

“How would you suggest I go about that?”

“I guess you would have to prove that I'm not as amazing as I say I am. Good luck with that,” Arthur said, with the air of someone wishing a kamakazi a good flight.

“You are unbelievable,” Merlin fumed.

“Like a dream come true,” Athur agreed amiably. He grabbed an apple out of the fridge, and said, “Well, I need to shower and get ready for class.”

“What class?” Merlin asked.

“Shakespearean Literature,” Arthur said as he headed into the bathroom.

“Why are you taking that?” Merlin asked, just managing to suppress a bark of laughter.

“I don't know.” Arthur shrugged. “I needed an English class. And girls like poetry, right?”

“I guess. I'm not really 'up' on wooing women,” Merlin said, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, but you're gay. Aren't they supposed to be easier for you to understand?”

“Arthur. They're women. The eternal enigma. They don't understand themselves!”

“Hmmmm.....true,” Arthur said, looking thoughtful. “Well, at least I have a subject that my roommate can help with, right?”

“Sure, Arthur,” Merlin said with a smile.

(-)

“Who knew an old dead poet's plays could be fun?” Arthur said when he came back from his class.

Merlin looked up from the gay romance novel he had been reading. He bookmarked his page and discretely set the book aside. “Myself, and many other literature and theatre enthusiasts.”

“Well I'm glad Mr. Clark showed me. The language is a challenge, but once he explained some of the dialogue, it's actually quite good,” Arthur said.

“It's quite good to see you fired up about a class. I imagine it doesn't happen all too often,” Merlin said offhandedly.

Arthur frowned at him. “There you go again, trying to box me in, Merlin. I'll have you know that I got great grades in Biology and Algebra in highschool. English and History were never spectacular, but I still passed.”

“Good grades do not equal passion. Passion drives you harder than the mere seeking of rewards. It makes the work itself a reward,” Merlin clarified. “I don't know if they had fencing at your highschool, but that would be a class I could see you getting passionate about. Not so much Algebra.”

The frown became thoughtful as Arthur reflected, “I suppose that's true enough, then.”

“But this 'Mr. Clark' managed to give you passion for Shakespeare. He must be an excellent teacher,” Merlin noted.

“I've only been to the first day of class, but I'd definitely agree with that already.”

There was something in how Arthur spoke, how he stood, how he smiled, that twigged at Merlin's instincts. Nothing specific, but Merlin felt like there was more to all this enthusiasm. He filed it away for later consideration. “What play are you doing first?” Merlin asked, picking up his book again, trying to seem only casually interested.

“Romeo and Juliet. He said that since just about everyone had to read it in high school, it will be easier to re-read and get more in-depth,” Arthur said.

“Makes sense,” Merlin agreed. There was a long pause, which made Merlin look up to see why Arthur was so quiet. Arthur was looking at his book biting his lip. “Arthur?”

Arthur glanced at him. “Mind if I read next to you? I might have a question about the language. I'll try not to bother you too much.”

As butterflies erupted in his chest cavity, Merlin tried not to grin like a fool. He toned it down to a smile and said, “Sure, sit down. Don't worry about bothering me. I finished my reading assignment for European Literature already. And Shakespeare is the kind of stuff I enjoy reading and working with.”

Arthur's smile was laced with relief, and he replied, “Thanks. Some of this stuff is beyond me.”

“That, as I understand it, is one of the main points of learning; bringing faraway concepts within your grasp,” Merlin said.

“You know, I probably could use a smart guy like you down the line,” Arthur said abruptly, giving Merlin an intensely-assessing gaze.

Merlin blinked. “Um...okay. Gonna get ambitious and tackle Hamlet in the future?”

Rolling his eyes, Arthur said, “Not just that. You really are very clever.”

Willing himself not to blush, Merlin responded, “There's a lot of smart guys out there.”

“But not all of them are clever. Or well-spoken,” Arthur pointed out.

Merlin didn't know what to say to that. He knew he was blushing now, and a shy pleased smile was creeping into his expression. Arthur seemed satisfied with that reaction, and sat on the couch next to Merlin and opened his book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original/Outdated Notes: Well, I've been sitting on the majority of that chapter for a while now, I just needed to finish it. Let me know what you think about it. (Including theories on what will happen, if you want. My reviewers often think of things that I never would.) Thanks for reading! ^_^
> 
> Current Notes: Got more drama-rama on the way. They try to work out the nature of their various relationships.

**Author's Note:**

> Original Note (Outdated): Well, I finished the first chapter. Not sure if I can promise the same for the second. Also, I forgot to mention, Merlin is a sorcerer in this. Hopefully I can elaborate better in the second chapter, if it ever exists in its entirety. XP
> 
> Current Note: Already have 9 chapters done, and I'm nearly done with the 10th.


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